Ordinary people, community leaders, and even organizations and corporations still do not fully comprehend the interconnected, "big picture" dynamics of sustainability theory and action. In exploring means to become more sustainable, individuals and groups need a reference in which to frame discussions so they will be relevant, educational, and successful when implemented. This book puts ideas on sustainable communities into a conceptual framework that will promote striking, transformational effects on decision-making. In this book practitioners and community leaders will find effective, comprehensive tools and resources at their finger-tips to facilitate sustainable community development (SCD). The book content examines a diverse range of SCD methods; assessing community needs and resources; creating community visions; promoting stakeholder interest and participation; analyzing community problems; designing and facilitating strategic planning; carrying out interventions to improve

Plant nutrients are the vital elements essential for plant growth and survival, with key roles in adapting to challenging environments. Each nutrient, whether required in relatively large (macronutrients) or minute concentrations (micronutrients) plays a unique role in plant life cycle. Both the insufficient and surplus concentrations of these nutrients may render negative impacts on plant growth and development and therefore their homeostasis is considered critical for optimal plant growth and yield. Plant Nutrition and Food Security in the Era of Climate Change comprehensively reviews all critical plant nutrients. Chapters include topics such as: biological roles, uptake and transport of vital nutrients in plants; an in-depth review of the roles of potassium, calcium, magnesium and trace element; molecular breeding approaches for enhanced plant nutrients; and exploring the rhizosphere microbiome for enhance nutrient availability. Written by leading experts in the field of plant biology, this is an essential read for researchers and scientists interested in plant science, agronomy, food security and environmental science.

When it comes to water, we are fed a daily diet of doom and gloom, of a looming crisis: wars of the future will be over water; nearly one-billion people lack access to clean water; river basins are closed so there is no more water to be allocated despite ever-growing demand; aquifers are overdrawn to such an extent that a global food crisis is just around the corner and major cities, such as Bangkok and Mexico, are sinking. And let us not forget about pollution or vector-borne diseases.

The challenges for sustainable water management are massive. Yet, as shown in this book, there are many positives to be drawn from the southern African experience. Despite abiding conditions of economic underdevelopment and social inequality, people rise to the challenge, oftentimes out of necessity and through self-help, but sometimes through creative coalitions operating at different scales - from the local to the global - and across issue areas - from transboundary governance to urban water supply.

This first volume in the Off-Centre series argues that we must learn to see water and the region differently if we are to meet present challenges and better prepare for an uncertain, climate-changing future.

Larry A. Swatuk is Professor in the School of Environment, Enterprise and Development (SEED) at the University of Waterloo, Canada; Extraordinary Professor at the Institute for Water Studies, University of Western Cape, South Africa; and Research Associate, Bonn International Center for Conversion (BICC). Prior to joining the University of Waterloo, he was Associate Professor of Natural Resources Governance at the Okavango Research Institute, Maun, Botswana.

This provocative new book presents the results of twenty years of research on deforestation in the Amazon. By carefully observing the changing character of human settlements and their association with deforestation over such a prolonged period, the author is able to reject much of the 'perceived wisdom'. He skillfully dissects various models of deforestation and provides hard evidence on what is myth and what is reality. The book begins by challenging a hypothesis used by many scholars to explain deforestation. The 'turnover hypothesis' states that small farmers 'cause' deforestation by moving rapidly across newly forested land in an effort to make a living. Dr. Campari argues that in reality the process is far more complex. He reveals that it is actually the larger farms who are the main culprits of deforestation and that, in comparison, the impact of small farmers is marginal. He also challenges the belief that current deforestation, as in the past, is the result of distortionary government policies. The author proves that deforestation continues today because existing policies are based on outdated assumptions of regional development. He goes on to discuss the policy implications of his important findings and identify possibilities for controlling deforestation in the future. This is one of the few studies that accurately documents the process of deforestation in the Amazon. Researchers, academics and policymakers with an interest in environmental policy and natural resource management will appreciate the new and updated information and fresh policy ideas found in this volume.

This book is the first effort to develop a broad and deep perspective on the emerging space occupied by "non-state actors" in China in the context of global environmental governance. It will serve as a primer both for scholars seeking to understand China's environmental governance system and for practitioners working with policymakers and administrators within that system. Individual chapters explore what works in achieving social change, domestically as well as globally, and will provide guidance to activists and directors of NGOs as well as scholars.

Global population by 2050 is predicted to be over 9 billion and accordingly, the production systems will demolish about 140 billion tons per year of minerals, ores, fossil fuels and biomass, i.e., thrice of the current need, and the food production itself has to be doubled. Optimized resource usage, lifecycle management, and reduced carbon emission have become a priority for agri-food businesses today, and circular economy (CE) helps for a sustainable and flexible way to grow without exhausting primary materials, and it thinks beyond recycling and resource usage. The word CE best relates to the resource and efficiency management, 6Rs, closed-loop production systems, zero waste and lifecycle engineering, reduced overconsumption of resources and waste generation, enriched system redesign and business model innovation, thereby leading to sustainable development goals. In this light, the book calls for theoretical and empirically sound contributions that are focused on the different aspects of the circular economy, 6R's, sustainable production and consumption, closed-loop systems, etc. in the agri-food sector.

'In international and domestic law water has a widely multifaceted relevance. This book addresses the multifarious water issues from the perspective of a wide range of bodies of law, especially those on foreign investment, international trade and human rights. Its various contributions consistently follow a multi-layered methodological approach encompassing legal, policy, economic, financial, international and comparative domestic analysis. That makes this book a precious tool for international and domestic water policy makers, managers, practitioners and arbitrators.' - Attila M. Tanzi, Bologna University Alma Mater Studiorum, Italy 'Charting the Water Regulatory Future is a multifaceted review of contemporary issues concerning development and conservation of water resources. Divided in three parts, this book contains excellent articles that grapple with salient legal, economic and ethical problems that the world will face in the not-too-distant future.' - Thomas J. Schoenbaum, George Washington University Law School, US Water is an essential resource for mankind, yet many countries around the world are currently facing mounting freshwater management challenges, with climate change and new regional imbalances threatening to aggravate this situation further. This timely book offers a unique interdisciplinary inquiry into the issues and challenges water regulation will face in the coming years. The book brings together economists, political scientists, geographers and legal scholars to offer a number of proposals for the future of water regulation. The contributions in this book are grouped around specific themes. In the Part I, the contributions address the challenges which water poses to public international law. In the Part II, the authors explore the most pressing ethical, legal, and social issues. Finally, the discussion in Part III covers the economic drivers shaping the future of water. This discerning book cov'This book, examining the issues, challenges and directions in water regulation, is very timely. . . (It) contributes to this gigantic endeavour by identifying some of the most pressing legal and economic issues and challenges, and pointing toward some possible future directions. It is written in a technically accurate yet accessible language and will surely prove useful to scholars, policymakers, and practitioners alike.' - Fernando Dias Simoes, European Yearbook of International Economic Law 2018 'In international and domestic law water has a widely multifaceted relevance. This book addresses the multifarious water issues from the perspective of a wide range of bodies of law, especially those on foreign investment, international trade and human rights. Its various contributions consistently follow a multi-layered methodological approach encompassing legal, policy, economic, financial, international and comparative domestic analysis. That makes this book a precious tool for international and domestic water policy makers, managers, practitioners and arbitrators.' - Attila M. Tanzi, Bologna University Alma Mater Studiorum, Italy 'Charting the Water Regulatory Future is a multifaceted review of contemporary issues concerning development and conservation of water resources. Divided in three parts, this book contains excellent articles that grapple with salient legal, economic and ethical problems that the world will face in the not-too-distant future.' - Thomas J. Schoenbaum, George Washington University Law School, US 'This excellent book addresses urgent global water issues: scarcity of clean water as population grows and the climate changes, balancing incentives for investment in infrastructure with human rights to basic needs, jurisdiction and management of international watersheds, and the role of trade and international trade agreements. Individual chapters are sophisticated but accessible and documented rigorously but unobtrusively. The authors are reputed scholars from diverse disciplines, representing a wide range of countries in terms of geography and economic status.' - Alan Randall, The Ohio State University, US and University of Sydney, Australia 'There is no greater challenge in the 21st century than meeting the demand for water amid global climate change. Rapid urbanization, a growing global population projected to hit nine billion in the coming decades, combined with rising demands for water intensive agri-foods, is creating enormous stresses on global water resources. This volume brings together an outstanding collection of global experts to examine the regulatory challenges of water management, addressing topics as diverse as regulating trade in water, global institutions and water conservation, cross border investment in water utilities, as well as ethical, social and legal issues associated with equity and access to water. The volume represents an original and immensely valuable collection of papers for anyone concerned with the future of this most essential resource.' - Darryl Jarvis, Hong Kong Institute of Education 'Pollution, population growth, climate change and regional imbalances make water management a central challenge for governments. New problems about water have arisen, which include inefficient sanitation services, the depletion of groundwater, unstable water supply networks and the use of water carriers. This excellent edited collection brings us a fresh and broad understanding on the future of water regulation from trade, investment, sustainable development, human rights and economics perspectives. This book is highly recommended for anyone interested in international rule-making and regulatory development for public goods in the era of globalization.' - Tsai-yu Lin, National Taiwan University 'Overall, this edited volume has certainly succeeded in analysing a highly technical topic from a wide variety of disciplines and in an array of jurisdictions. Its interdisciplinary nature, together with its consistency and clarity, makes it a welcome and timely addition to the literature. It constitutes a useful reference for both academics and practitioners who seek guidance in the intricate and vitally important realm of water regulation.' - Chinese Journal of Environmental Law ers all of the primary actors in the actors of the water world, including governments, companies, international organizations, and citizens. With an original introduction by the editor and bringing a diverse collection of perspectives into a single collection, the book will be an essential resource for scholars and practitioners in legal and policy fields such as trade and investment, human rights and the environment as well as in international relations. Contributors include: M. Ahmad, T. Ancev, S. Azad, A.P. Barcellos, R. Bates, D. Chakraborty, C. Emeziem, S. Hamamoto, F. Hernandez-Sancho, M. Hirano, J. Lassa, P. Mahadevan, T. McDonnell, S. Mukherjee, S.A. Shah, V.J.M. Tassin, C. Titi, P. Turrini

"Managing Ocean Environments in a Changing Climate" summarizes the current state ofseveral threats to the global oceans. What distinguishes this book most from previous works is that this book begins with a holistic, global-scale focus for the first several chapters andthen provides an example of how this approach can be applied on a regional scale, for the Pacific region. Previous works usually have compiled local studies, which are essentially impossible to properly integrate to the global scale. The editors have engaged leading scientists in a number of areas, such asfisheries and marine ecosystems, ocean chemistry, marine biogeochemical cycling, oceans and climate change, andeconomics, to examine the threats to the oceans both individually and collectively, provide gross estimates of the economic and societal impacts of these threats, and deliver high-level recommendations.

Nominated for a Katerva Award in 2012 in the Economy category. State of the science reviews by known marine experts provide a concise, readable presentation written at a level for managers and studentsLinks environmental and economic aspects of ocean threats and provides an economic analysis of action versus inactionProvides recommendations for stakeholders to help stimulate the development of policies that would help move toward sustainable use of marine resources and services"

This book describes concepts and tools needed for water resources management, including methods for modeling, simulation, optimization, big data analysis, data mining, remote sensing, geographical information system, game theory, conflict resolution, System dynamics, agent-based models, multiobjective, multicriteria, and multiattribute decision making and risk and uncertainty analysis, for better and sustainable management of water resources and consumption, thus mitigating the present and future global water shortage crisis. It presents the applications of these tools through case studies which demonstrate its benefits of proper management of water resources systems. This book acts as a reference for students, professors, industrial practitioners, and stakeholders in the field of water resources and hydrology.

"Energy Efficiency: Towards the End of Demand Growth is" a detailed guide to new energy efficiency technologies and policy frameworks affecting the profitability of efficiency projects. The contributions drawn together by F.P. Sioshansi feature insights from recognized thought leaders, detailed examinations of evolving technologies, and practical case studies yielding best practices for project planners, implementers and financiers. This volume challenges the "more is better" paradigm in energy production, examining efficiency technologies and measurement across the supply chain.
Comparative financial analysis of efficiency vs. increased generation Case studies from four continents highlight the examples of successful technologies and projectsExplains how existing and developing regulatory frameworks impact cost and implementation"

This book explores sustainable development from the perspective of resources and energy, based on China's practical experience and cross-disciplinary research. It focuses on major challenges, key solutions and policy recommendations, and studies and explores seven important themes of resources, energy and sustainable development, including: 1) China's low-carbon energy transition, 2) China's urbanization and low-carbon development, 3) China's low-carbon action in cities, 4) China's low-carbon power transition, 5) China's water resources management, 6) electric vehicle development and key metal resources and 7) China's low-carbon development of the iron & steel industry. This book contributes to a more integrated understanding of many themes and their relationships in the area of resources, energy and sustainable development and guides the related policy and management.

This book addresses the emergent need to act on reducing or getting rid of micro plastic pollution, to achieve a sustainable environment. Microplastics are small plastic pieces, which are less than five millimeters long which can be harmful to our oceans and aquatic life. These predominantly include microfibers from clothing, microbeads, and plastic pellets. Microplastics impact aquatic creatures, turtles and birds. According to the first study on estimation of human ingestion of microplastic, on average a person consumes at least 50,000 particles of microplastic a year and breathes a similar quantity. Ingested microplastic particles can physically damage organs and also compromise immune function and stymie growth and reproduction. This book presents six informative chapters in order to alleviate the above mentioned issues .

This book presents contributions devoted to the hydrogeochemical characterization of aquatic environments of Patagonia, including those of Ushuaia city, known as "The southernmost city in the world". Patagonia (between 39 Degrees and 55 Degrees S) is located in southern South America. Eight main river systems pour their waters into the SW Atlantic Ocean. Rivers, with their headwaters mainly located in the Andes, supply dissolved and particulate matter to the coastal zone, as well as nutrients, which benefit biological communities. Besides, freshwater in this region with little anthropogenic impact supports human life and a high wildlife biodiversity. Unfortunately, the recent increase in human activities, such as the use of fertilizers, wastewater discharges, extensive deforestation and dam construction, is affecting the quality and quantity of water resources. The book is of interest for researchers, professors and government agencies that decide on water resources management policies.

With an ever-growing majority of the world's human population living in city-spaces, the relationship between cities and nature will be one of the key environmental issues of the 21st Century. This timely book investigates how the rapidly growing number of city dwellers across the globe relate to their natural environments and what this means for the future of these environments. Offering an interdisciplinary approach to the impacts of urban spaces on the future of the environment, the book is a full-scale attempt to radically rethink the relationship between cities and nature. The editors bring together a diverse set of well-known authors and new voices to explore the various aspects of this relationship both theoretically and empirically. Rather than considering cities as wholly separate from nature, a running theme throughout the book is that cities, and city dwellers, should be characterized as intrinsic in the creation of specifically urban-generated 'socio-natures'. An essential resource for those working at the intersection of cities and the environment, it will be of great value to urbanists, geographers, planners, sociologists, economists, anthropologists, policy makers, public administrators and environmental scientists. Contributors include: K. Archer, L. Benton-Short, J.M. Berry, G. Bettini, K. Bezdecny, J. Bratt, V.C. Broto, K. Davidson, R.M. Friend, N. Gabriel, B. Gleeson, L. Guibrunet, D. Houston, R. Jones, M. Kaika, L. Karaliotas, M. Keeley, J. Kitson, T.W. Luke, R. Pizarro, K.E. Portney, J. Ravetz, J. Rennie Short, J. Rowland, T.G. Smith, E. Swyngedouw, P. Thinphanga, R.H. Wilson

Technological change plays a crucial role in realizing energy efficiency improvements and, therefore, in ameliorating the conflict between economic growth and environmental quality. However, the diffusion of new technologies can prove a costly and lengthy process, meaning that many firms do not invest in best-practice technologies. The author offers important new explanations for this energy-efficiency paradox. This volume contributes to a better understanding of the interplay between economic growth, energy use and technological change, with particular emphasis on the adoption and diffusion of energy-saving technologies. In the theoretical section, the author examines how several characteristics of technological change and environmental policy affect the dynamics of technology choice. He demonstrates how technological complementarity, learning processes and uncertainty can help explain why the innovation and diffusion of new technologies is such a protracted and complex procedure. The empirical section explores long-run trends in energy and labour productivity performance, as well as patterns of substitutability and technological change across a range of OECD countries. The book concludes by integrating the results in an applied policy model of economy-energy interaction. This book is unique in applying insights from different perspectives to the field of energy economics, and by focusing on the diffusion of energy-saving technologies rather than their innovation. It will be of immense value to academics and policymakers with an interest in energy economics, environmental economics and the interaction between economic growth and natural resources.

This book presents a rich collection of studies on the analysis of sustainable development from a multiple criteria decision-making (MCDM) perspective, written by some of the most prominent authors in the field of MCDM/A. The book constitutes a unique international reference guide to the analysis, measurement, and management of sustainability in a multidimensional decision analysis context. Chiefly intended for academics and policymakers, it reflects some of the latest methodological advances in decision-making, which are illustrated in real-life applications to sustainability-related topics in both the private and public sector.

In Asia and the Pacific, climate change is now a well-recognised risk to water security but responses to this risk are either under reported, or continue to be guided by the incremental or business as usual approaches. Water policy still tends to remain too narrow and fragmented, compared to the multi-sectoral and cross-scalar nature of risks to water security. What's more, current water security debates tend to be framed in discipline specific or academic ways, failing to understand decision making and problem-solving contexts within which policy actors and partitioners have to operate on a daily basis. Much of the efforts to date has focussed on assessing and predicting the risks in the context of increasing levels of uncertainty. There is still limited analysis of emerging practices of risks assessment and mitigation in different contexts in Asia and the Pacific. Going beyond the national scales and focussing on several socio-ecological zones, this book captures stories written by engaged scholars on recent attempts to develop cross-sectoral and cross-scaler solutions to assess and mitigate risks to water security across Asia and the Pacific. Identifying lessons from successes and failures, it highlights management and strategic lessons that water and climate leaders of Asia and the Pacific need to consider. This book showcases reflective and analytical thought pieces written by key actors in the climate and water spaces. Several critical socio-ecological zones are covered - from Pakistan in the west to pacific islands in the east. The chapters clearly identify strategies for improvement based on the analysis of emerging responses to climate risks to water security and gaps in current practices. The book will include an editorial introduction and a final synthesis chapter to ensure clear articulation of common themes and to highlight the overall messages of the book.

This is one of the most comprehensive books on complex subjects of environmental engineering assessment and planning. Addressing these issues requires an understanding of technical, economic, and policy perspectives; based upon extensive research and practical experience of the authors, these perspectives are thoughtfully and clearly presented.

Covered in this book are subjects related to environmental engineering and planning which include environmental laws and regulations, international perspectives on environmental analysis engineering and planning, economic and social impact analysis, public participation, and energy and environmental implications of major public works and private projects. Contemporary issues ranging from climate change to ecorisk and sustainability are covered in a special section as well.

Under Contemporary Challenges are environmental issues that have received considerable public support and concern; they include: climate change, acid rain, deforestation, endangered species, biodiversity, ecorisk, cultural resources, and sustainability. For most of these issues, there are scientific agreements and disagreements; there are many uncertainties, thus views differ widely. These topics are discussed in considerable detail. Notwithstanding uncertainties and differing views on such topics, all of this information is put in a policy context such that progress towards addressing these contemporary challenges can be made while consensus on the nature and extent of the problem and resultant solutions are being developed.

The book provides considerable information about many timeless issues. These issues range from resources needed for sustaining the quality of life on the planet: air resources to natural resources. Specifically covered are: air, water, land, ecology, sound/noise, human aspects, economics, and resources. For each of these areas, some of the key elements are described so that one can effectively manage complex environmental engineering and planning requirements. Each of the elements are clearly defined and other information, such as how human activities affect the element, source of affects, variable to be measured, how such variables can be measured, data sources, and evaluation and interpretation of data, etc. are provided. Material presented provides a rich source of information so the reader can efficiently and effectively use it to make meaningful environmental engineering, planning, and management decisions.
Help with every aspect of analyzing the environmental implications of a project.

Complete coverage of current approaches, practices, procedures, documentations, regulations, and issues related to environmental engineering and planning.

Step-by-step directions for preparing environmental impact analysis, and environmental reports.

Valuable expert advice on international perspectives, public participation, social and environmental impacts.

A comprehensive write-up on contemporary issues ranging from climate change to sustainability.

A comprehensive description and analysis of timeless issues ranging from air resources to natural resources.

This book focuses on the behavioral interactions among possible stakeholders in carbon labeling practice, brings the attentions of stakeholders' interests to explore the opportunities, and challenges related to carbon labeling practice, thus to provide insight into low-carbon consumption and production. It is essential reading for students, researchers, and policy makers as well as those with a wider interest in environmental science and sustainable development.

This outstanding new book provides the most detailed and comprehensive evaluation of water reform and water sector performance from the perspectives of institutional economics and political economy. Skilfully integrating institutional theory with resource economics, and set against an exhaustive review of the theoretical and empirical literature, the authors develop an alternative methodology to quantitatively assess the performance of institutions in the context of water. This methodology is built on the principle of 'institutional ecology', the 'institutional decomposition and analysis' framework, and the 'subjective theory' of institutional change. Using this new methodology, plus information collected through an international survey of 127 water experts, the authors present a detailed empirical analysis of the process of institution-performance interaction in the water sector. Relying on the institutional transaction cost approach and an extensive cross-country review of recent water sector reforms, they also provide evidence on the relative role of various factors which influence the extent and depth of water institutional reforms in 43 countries and regions around the world. The book concludes with far reaching implications for the theory and policy of water sector reform in particular and institutional reform in general. Unique and up-to-date, this book offers an authoritative review of the important linkages between institutions and performance both in general and water sector contexts. By laying the foundations for future research and policy in this field, it will be of particular relevance and value for institutional economists, natural resource and environmental economists, political scientists, policymakers, donor agencies and students and scholars working on water-related issues.

Water pollution control has been a top environmental policy priority of the world's most developed countries for decades, and the focus of significant regulation and public and private spending. Yet, significant water quality problems remain, and trends for some pollutants are in the wrong direction. This book addresses the economics of water pollution control and water pollution control policy in agriculture, with an aim towards providing students, environmental policy analysts, and other environmental professionals with economic concepts and tools essential to understanding the problem and crafting solutions that can be effective and efficient. The book will also examine existing policies and proposed reforms in the developed world. Although this book addresses and has a general applicability to major water pollutants from agriculture (e.g., pesticides, pharmaceuticals, sediments, nutrients), it will focus on the sediment and nutrient pollution problem. The economic and scientific foundations for pollution management are best developed for these pollutants, and they are currently the top priorities of policy makers. Accordingly, the authors provide both highly salient and informative cases for developing concepts and methods of general applicability, with high profile examples such as the Chesapeake Bay, Lake Erie, and the Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone in the US; the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe; and Lake Taupo in New Zealand.